502 Miscellaneous. 
enthusiastic applause by a crowded assembly of both ladies and gentlemen - 
Mr Daniel Cooper, author of Flora Metropolitana, &c. the founder and curator 
of the Society, read an interesting paper on the effects of light upon some of 
our domestic plants, which excited great interest, more particularly with the la- 
dies. Mr D. Cooper also related the results of some interesting experiments on 
the imbibition of coloured fluids by the roots of plants, and produced many 
interesting specimens of general interest to the vegetable physiologist. There 
were several eminent metropolitan botanists present, among .whom were Sir 
W. Kelburn, Dr Maclntyre, Dr Lew.is, Mr Charles Johnson, Mr D. Cooper, 
&c. &c. The thanks of the Society having been expressed to Mr D. Cooper 
for his interesting papers, the chairman then stated that the next meeting would 
take place on Thursday, November 17th, at Adelphi Chambers A. HEATHCOT. 
BERWICKSHIRE NATURALISTS' CLUB. It may safely be said, that at no period in 
the history of our country has a love for physical science in general been more 
widely diffused than it is at present ; and certainly at no previous period was 
it ever more zealously or successfully cultivated. In the department of Natural 
History in particular, the truth of this statement must be obvious to every one 
at all acquainted with the subject. The very circumstance, indeed, of the esta- 
blishment, within a very limited number of years, of so many associations in all 
parts of the island for the prosecution of this delightful and most rational study, 
is of itself a sufficient proof of the interest and attention with which it is now 
almost invariably regarded. And to these associations it doubtless is that we 
are, in a very great measure at least, to ascribe the present flourishing state of 
this science. The Berwickshire Naturalists' Club is one of these late associa- 
tions, having been formed between five and six years ago ; and as it is now be- 
ginning to be pretty extensively known, and is in its plan or constitution some- 
what different from almost every society which has been instituted for a similar 
purpose, a brief notice of its rise and progress may not be uninteresting. 
While other societies contented themselves almost entirely with reading and 
hearing communications, and confined their meetings to one particular town or 
city, it suggested itself to one or two Berwickshire naturalists who were in the 
habit of occasionally meeting each other in their rambles after nature's beauties, 
that if a county or district association could be formed, and the attention of that 
association could be given exclusively to the natural history of its own district, 
meeting for that purpose periodically in different parts of the district, and de- 
voting its attention as much to actual excursions or out-of-door work, as to the 
reading and discussing of papers and communications, not only would the natu- 
ral phenomena and productions of the district be more minutely and successful- 
ly investigated, but, by the same means, a greater number of facts, and a greater 
amount of information, would be added to the general stock of natural know- 
ledge daily accumulating throughout the land. No sooner was the suggestion or 
proposal communicated to other companions in the same pursuits, than it was at 
once and cordially approved of j and the result accordingly was the formation of 
a district society under the title of the Berwickshire Naturalist's Club, which held 
its first meeting in the neighbourhood of Cockburnspath, September 22d 1831. 
Though at the first meeting only nine gentlemen were present, yet it is gratifying 
to be able to add, that the number of members now amounts to forty ; and it is 
equally pleasant to be able to state, that the same harmony of feeling, the same 
